Combining career and motherhood is one of the most challenging yet rewarding and creative pursuits. Kids are a 24/7 job from which you rarely get a night off. Starting and running a business may only be a 9 to 5 proposition, but put it all together, and it can take up all of your time and attention—it’s an exhausting combination!
When you think about it, there’s a lot of crossover between the two. You can multitask back and forth and watch as both areas of your life thrive. Why? Motherhood brings with it a wealth of transferable skills. When you’re willing to open a business, these skills will bring success your way. Even if you don’t have the technical know-how initially, you will soon add the necessary skills from workshops and on-the-job work. Now, all you need is a bit of confidence to get everything going!
Somehow, moms are given the strength and energy they need to both look after a family and a business. To an onlooker, it can seem daunting, but I’ve seen a few new moms start a business and I’ve been in awe at their success.
You’ve Had to Be Very Patient
Parenthood requires patience no matter what. Kids can be slow to pick up new skills, and it can take a whole night to get a newborn down for some sleep, but you’ve managed it all in your time. As such, you now have a saint’s patience, which can be applied to your money-making efforts.
When the boss is patient, they don’t rush their workers or dive headfirst into a deal that doesn’t benefit them. You’ll be able to think things through and weigh the pros and cons, no matter how much the market tries to rush you. Fear of missing out, or FOMO, can be less effective on parents, and that’s a good, rational mindset from which to approach business leadership.
Patience is a complex skill to learn—in fact, we believe it’s one of the hardest—but if you’ve been raising children for the past five years or so, you’ll have a wealth of it behind you.
You’ve Mastered Time Management
Another skill parents often don’t get any praise or recognition for is time management, which is the best soft skill to have on a resume. It lets people know you’re able to prioritize and even compartmentalize in those moments when everything needs your attention. If you’ve got a child at home, you already know just how important it is to catch the early worm so you can still have a good day!
Time management can be different for everyone, but it most often refers to the way you handle the course of the day, especially when an unexpected task is thrown into the proceedings. Say someone calls in sick to work, and there’s no one to pick up the slack; a strong sense of time management will ensure things still get done by the end of the day.
You Have an Empathetic Ear
Parents need to be understanding. Kids have all kinds of gripes and issues, even if they’re just upset because you’ve brought them the wrong toy to play with. As a mother, you learn to roll with these punches and adapt to your child’s mood.
But more than that, when your child has a genuine problem and is not acting like themselves about it, your empathetic ear makes everything OK again. The same principle applies to you as the boss, whether you’re running your own business or working for someone else. An empathetic ear is a prized attribute.
When employees know the boss is on their side and have the chance to talk through an issue that’s affecting their work, your office atmosphere creates a king of mental wellness. Everything will go better when it is going on the upside of things. No one can prevent people from being people and having disagreements, but you can prevent your workplace culture from becoming toxic. Truthfully, people really want to work in a peaceful environment. As a mom, you have experience keeping the peace in family and children’s relationships.
You’ve Gained a Basic Understanding of First Aid
Kids get ill a lot. They also get cuts and bruises a lot. And they’ll often come inside from playtime in the yard and cry their eyes out. It’s up to you as their mother to find out what happened, make sure they’re OK, and then try to prevent it from happening again.
You probably took a first aid course or asked your parents to take one. Knowing what to do in an instant when an infant or toddler is choking can save their lives. You want to know what to do instantly, and potential caregivers and helpers want to know what to do, too.
A grandmother I know was holding her grandchild while her mother was busy dealing with someone at the door. It was suppertime, and the grandmother was trying to feed the baby something to tide it over until the mother could continue. All at once, the baby started choking. Because the grandmother had firsthand knowledge, which was refreshed through a first aid course, she was able to act quickly, and everything turned out well.
This is also the standard first aid procedure in business. Sure, you’ll need a proper certification to provide medical aid to someone in an office—the insurance will always stipulate it. However, the more you know before searching for CPR training, the better you’ll do on the course you sign up for.
Plus, mothers can spot hazards from a mile away. This will also be useful when setting up a workspace, as people need to move around it safely. If there’s a wire on the floor, you’ll be the first person to pick it up and tidy it away. There’s no need for the accident book here!
Motherhood Means Creative Problem Solving
Everyone wants to have this skill on their resume, but few people actually master it. But if you’re a mother, you’ll have a better chance than most. Kids can be very complicated, and solving their problems takes a lot of creative thinking.
If you also apply this mindset to the workplace, you’ll think your way out of marketing issues and product line disruption using methods no one has ever tried before.
This makes it one of the best workplace skill sets you can display. You’ll impress your workforce and customers by solving problems before they become disasters.
You Can Communicate with the Best of Them
Communication is a core part of human existence. People need to be able to talk to each other to maintain good health. In the workplace, this is also the best skill to have on hand just in case a miscommunication arises—and trust us, it will!
The more you can communicate with what seems to be a brick wall, the sooner you’ll get to the heart of the brief a supplier, investor, or client has sent you. You’ll also be on top of your email messages and keep a healthy state of mind that can affect the success of your day!
You’ve Got Eyes in the Back of Your Head!
You probably heard this a lot as a kid from your own mother or maybe your grandmother: “I’ve got eyes in the back of my head!” You also probably always wondered how they could know what you were up to. But now that you’re a parent yourself, you know exactly how they did it!
Take your positive attitude to work with you. You’re not trying to keep an eye on your employees and make them feel like they’re being micromanaged, but you need to be aware of what’s happening in your workplace.
However, if you’re currently working at your desk, you won’t have time to look around and check in with others about what they are doing. You need to know everyone is pulling their weight. That’s why this seemingly small ability to multitask will carry you through. Those eyes you have developed in the back of your head will help you Stay Vigilant!
Are You a Mother with a Business Idea?
Don’t wait to see if it comes true—make it happen today! As a parent, you’ve gained many important soft skills that can be fully applied to the business world.
So, this is your time!
Be encouraged and go for it. Take all that life experience and turn it into a functioning, thriving business. Being self-employed as a mom makes a lot of sense. You can juggle your life freely; you can look after your little ones, enlist the help of others in your family, or trade time with friends. A business can be just what you need to look after your family and make a living. It only takes 5 minutes to register a business name! Once you’ve done that, you can do the rest.
Eventually, the world will be your oyster!
